简介：AyoungNativeAmericanfightstokeephercultureandidentitywhensheisabductedtoaresidentialschool. TheprototypefilmaboutresidentialschoolabuseinCanada.,29May2002 Author:ram-30fromDillon,Saskatchewan CanadiancinemahasleftanindeliblemarkonfilmsaboutAboriginalpeopleandfilmsaboutlifeonthePrairiesduringtheGreatDepression.Inthefilm"WheretheSpiritLives",thesetwoareasmeet.Asofthiswriting,theimdbusershavegiventhisfilma9/10ratingandwithvalidcause.Thestorylineisstrongyetultimatelypredictable.Themovie'smainforcecomeswiththecontrastbetweentheutopicworldoftheAboriginallifeonthereservation/traplineandthemuchdystopicworldofthewhiteman/Catholicresidentialschool.ThefilmbeginswiththeheroineKomienjoyinganinnocent,culturallyrich,nearlyparadisallifeoutdoors.TheviewerismadetorecallthisopeningscenewhentheantagonistReverendBuckley(playedtomenacingperfectionbyDavidHemblen)givesthislinewhichseemstosupporttheCatholicchurch'stheoryatthetime:"Thesechildrencometousfromadeadculture;it'slikeamillstonearoundtheirnecks;ourjobistoremovethisterribleburdenandgivethemtheirfreedom".Later,ReverendBuckleyusestheanalogyofknockingtheoldsoilfromaplant'srootstohelpitgrow.Theseironiclineshelphimjustifytakingthese,ashecallsthem,"littlebrownchildrenoftheprairie"fromtheirfamiliesandwayoflifeandforcingthemtolearnthewhiteways.AnothernicepoetictouchfromthefilmiswhenRachel,ayoungstudentwhowassexualabusedbyaFEMALEmatron(anothernicedetourfromthecliche)escapestowitnessherpeople'sSunDanceceremonywhereshecan"Touchthesunandbecomeastar".Rachel'ssubplothelpstoreinforceboththattheircultureisanythingbut"Dead"andthatlifeinthewhitemanworldisnotadesirableasthepriestsandleadersattheschoolwouldliketothink.Rachel'sattempttoretainherculture'sSunDanceritualisinspiredbytheheroineKomi'srefusaltogiveupherIndianname,herlanguage,hersmudging(smokeandprayer)ritual,herriteofpassagetowomanhood,andmainlyhercontactwithherfamily.Anotherniceironic/symboliccontrastisthesnippetofahymnthechildrensingattheschool:"Allcreaturesgreatandsmall,Allthingswiseandwonderful,theLordGodlovesthemall".Thisseemstoneatlysumupthesentimentofthefimmakers.Yes,theLordlovesallpeople;it'stoobadsomeofHISPEOPLEdon't.ThisistheprototypefilmonResidentialSchoolsandithaseverythingaclassicfilmonAboriginalpeopleshouldhaveincludingmusicbyBuffySainteMarieandanappearancebyactorGrahamGreene.…